CPT code 51600: Bladder injection, cystography or voiding study2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California
Reports contrast instillation into the bladder for cystography or voiding urethrocystography, separate from the radiographic imaging service when separately coded.
Medicare pays $223.38–$286.84 for 51600 in the office in California, from Chico, CA to San Benito County, CA. Which amount applies depends on the service address.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
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On this page 9 sections
What 51600 covers
CPT 51600 represents placing contrast into the bladder for a cystographic examination or a study that images the bladder during voiding. The contrast is typically introduced through a urinary catheter. Radiologists and urologists commonly perform the injection in hospital imaging departments and outpatient radiology settings. The code identifies the contrast-injection service, not the resulting images or their interpretation.
Report 51600 when the clinician performs the bladder contrast injection; documentation should identify the study and confirm that contrast was instilled into the bladder. Report the applicable imaging service separately when performed and supported. The code has a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When multiple procedures occur in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Medicare does not pay for an assistant at surgery, and co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
This summary was written with AI assistance from CMS physician fee schedule data and checked against the CMS billing rules shown here. Rates on this page come directly from CMS files.
Where 51600 pays more and less in California
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
29 payment localities
$223.38 to $286.84
29 of 29 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield, CA | $223.66 | $37.32 |
| Chico, CA | $223.38 | $37.05 |
| El Centro, CA | $223.39 | $37.06 |
| Fresno, CA | $223.38 | $37.05 |
| Hanford, CA | $223.38 | $37.05 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $239.74 | $38.62 |
| Madera, CA | $223.38 | $37.05 |
| Marin County, CA | $280.55 | $40.84 |
| Merced, CA | $223.38 | $37.05 |
| Modesto, CA | $223.38 | $37.05 |
| Napa, CA | $263.62 | $39.55 |
| Oxnard, CA | $239.07 | $38.11 |
| Redding, CA | $223.38 | $37.05 |
| Rest of California | $223.38 | $37.05 |
| Riverside, CA | $224.36 | $38.03 |
| Sacramento, CA | $235.70 | $37.97 |
| Salinas, CA | $234.85 | $37.81 |
| San Benito County, CA | $286.84 | $41.68 |
| San Diego, CA | $241.34 | $38.01 |
| San Francisco, CA | $280.45 | $40.74 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | $230.93 | $37.29 |
| Santa Clara County, CA | $286.42 | $41.27 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $244.40 | $37.84 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $235.99 | $37.76 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $246.94 | $38.17 |
| Stockton, CA | $223.38 | $37.05 |
| Vallejo, CA | $263.47 | $39.40 |
| Visalia, CA | $223.38 | $37.05 |
| Yuba City, CA | $223.38 | $37.05 |
How the 51600 rate is calculated
Each of 51600’s three RVUs is multiplied by a geographic index (GPCI) for the payment locality, added up, and multiplied by the conversion factor. Drag the indexes or enter a ZIP to see what moves the rate.
How the rate is built · 51600
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.86
0.86 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense5.26
5.26 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.09
0.09 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
6.2100
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$207.42
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 51600
The CMS indicators that decide how 51600 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 51600
Bladder injection, cystography or voiding study
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 000 | Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is included. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
51600 without 51 · national office
$207.42
Bladder injection, cystography or voiding study
51600-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$103.71
When this isn’t the highest-valued procedure in the session, Medicare pays 50% of its fee schedule amount (the highest is paid at 100%).
51600 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 51610Bladder injectionFor x-ray imaging
- Use 51600 for contrast injection into the bladder for cystography or a voiding study; 51610 is for retrograde urethrocystography.
- 51605Bladder study prepBefore contrast imaging
- 51605 describes bladder preparation for an X-ray examination. Choose 51600 when the documented service is contrast injection for cystography or a voiding study.
- 74430Bladder imagingRetrograde contrast
- 74430 represents cystographic imaging and interpretation, while 51600 represents the bladder contrast injection.
- 74455Voiding studyUrethra and bladder
- 74455 represents imaging and interpretation for a voiding urethrocystographic study; 51600 represents the contrast injection.
51600 billing questions
How is 51600 different from 51610?
51600 is for contrast injection into the bladder for cystography or a voiding study. 51610 is for injection used in retrograde urethrocystography.
Can the imaging service be reported separately?
Yes. The injection and the radiographic imaging or interpretation are distinct services; report the applicable imaging code when that service is performed and documented.
Should modifier 50 be used for a bilateral study?
No. Bilateral adjustment does not apply to 51600, and modifier 50 is inappropriate.
What documentation supports 51600?
Document the cystographic or voiding study and that contrast was instilled into the bladder. The record should distinguish the injection from the imaging service.
How does the multiple-procedure reduction affect 51600?
For procedures performed in the same session, Medicare pays the highest-valued procedure in full and applies the standard 50% reduction to the others.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indexes and the conversion factor. Services without a published rate are labeled, never given a made-up amount. Amounts are Medicare allowed amounts before claim adjustments: not a patient’s bill or a commercial rate.
CMS RVU26D · effective Oct 1, 2026 through the day before Jan 1, 2027
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